Pretend patriots versus true patriotism

Remembrance earlier this month is more than a ritual; it is a sacred covenant that binds generations. For the British people, the annually recited fourth verse of Laurence Binyon’s immortal poem, For the Fallen, has become far more than fine poetry.

That is because it expresses the enduring covenant by which generation upon generation of British people continue to honour their war dead.

The poem was inspired by the overwhelming losses faced by the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in the opening weeks of World War I. From the Battle of Mons to the First Battle of the Marne, the BEF suffered over 15,000 casualties—nearly a fifth of its strength—within weeks.